Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Berkeley College-Woodland Park

Berkeley College-Woodland Park's medical assisting program starts graduates at nearly $30,000—roughly $7,000 below both the state and national medians for this field. Among New Jersey's 24 allied health programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of similar programs in the state produce better initial outcomes. To put that in perspective, nearby Essex County College graduates earn $54,592 in their first year, nearly double what Berkeley College graduates make.

The numbers do improve significantly over time, with earnings jumping 27% to nearly $38,000 by year four. That growth helps close the gap somewhat, though graduates still trail state and national benchmarks. The debt load of $15,000 is manageable relative to starting pay—you'd owe about half your first year's salary—but it's worth noting that other New Jersey programs achieve better results with similar or lower debt.

For a family paying private college tuition when community colleges like Essex offer dramatically better outcomes in the same field, this is a tough sell. The 60% Pell grant population suggests many families here are stretching financially for this degree. Unless there are compelling location or scheduling reasons to choose Berkeley College over alternatives, particularly community colleges that serve as direct pathways into the same jobs, parents should seriously explore those options first.